26984 words

dive

23 definitions • 32 examples
1
to jump into water, especially with your head and arms going in first, or to move down under the water:

Examples:

dive for Look at those children diving for oysters over there!
dive in They ran to the pool, dived in, and swam to the other side.
dive off Mark dived off the bridge into the river.
dive into She looked over and saw one of her friends diving into the water.
The submarine dived just in time to avoid the enemy attack.
3
to fall in value suddenly and by a large amount:

Examples:

dive by something to something The company's shares dived by 90p to 65p on the stock market yesterday.
4
to go down very quickly:

Examples:

The plane dived towards the ground and exploded in a ball of flame.
dive for The goalkeeper dived for the ball (= tried to catch the ball by jumping towards it and falling on the ground).
5
to move quickly, often in order to avoid something:

Examples:

dive for cover They dived for cover when they heard the shooting start.
6
in football, to fall down deliberately without another player causing you to fall, in order to try to win a penalty or a free kick unfairly:

Examples:

Referees should be booking players when they dive.
7
in rugby and American football, to jump forward with the ball, landing with your body flat on the ground:

Examples:

The tackle dodged, Brown dived over for a try.
When Brady converted and later dived into the end zone for a touchdown, the crowd roared.
8
a jump into water with your head going in first:

Examples:

He did a dive off a cliff.
the best dive of the competition
9

Examples:

We saw a huge shark when we were out on a dive.
10
a sudden loss in value:

Examples:

The company was in a bad state following a dive in turnover.
11
a movement down onto the ground:

Examples:

dive for The goalkeeper made a valiant dive for the ball, but he couldn't quite get his hands on it.
go into a dive The plane went into a dive.
12
in football, the action of falling down deliberately without another player causing you to do so, in order to try to win a penalty or free kick unfairly
13

Examples:

He made a dive for the door.
14
If a boxer takes a dive, they fall down and pretend to be knocked out or knocked down:

Examples:

He faced allegations of trying to bribe his opponent to take a dive.
15

Examples:

The company's profits took a dive last month.
16
a restaurant, hotel, bar, or place for entertainment or social activities that is unpleasant because of the condition of the building or the type of people that go there:

Examples:

The place is a real dive, but the drinks are cheap and the food's great.
17
to jump head first into water, esp. with your arms held straight above your head, or to move down quickly through water or the air:

Examples:

Mark dove off the cliff into the ocean.
Dolphins can dive to great depths.
[ + to infinitive ] The plane dived to avoid enemy aircraft fire.
18
to jump or move quickly into or at something:

Examples:

When the football came loose, he dove at the ball and grabbed it.
They dived for cover when it suddenly began to rain.
19
20

Examples:

The firm’s profits took a dive last quarter.
21
a quick move or jump into or at something:

Examples:

White’s 1-yard dive with seconds left won the football game.
22

Examples:

Shares prices dived 3.5% today to a three-month closing low.
Pre-tax profits dove almost 60% to $105m against $245m in the same period last year.
23

Examples:

The bond market traded nervously as many shares on Wall Street took a dive and oil prices soared.

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